Means for handling pipes or conduits



Jan. 1, 1952 E. SMITH 2,580,471

MEANS FOR HANDLING PIPES OR CONDUITS Filed Aug. 27, 1947 5; 3 Luke E 5177/ INVENTO A T TOP/V5 V Patented Jan. 1, 1952 "OFFICE MEANS FOR HANDLING PIPES R QONDUITS Luke E. Smith, Denver, 0010., assignor to Quick- Way Truck Shovel Co ration of Colorado Denver, 0010., a corpo- Application AugustZ'l, 1947, Serial No. 170,893

6 Claims. (01. 314-131) The present invention relates to means for handling pipe or conduit. It has to do particularly, although not exclusively, with means associated with a power shovel in the form of an attachment to the boom and dipper stick of a trench hoe, or the like, for handling long-sections of heavy pipe, conduit, rods, or poles, whereby the pipe, or the like, can be loaded onto a truck or unloaded therefrom, or lowered into place in a trench, or removed from said trench, this being accomplished without the necessity of any manual handling of said pipe.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide improved means adapted to be associated with the boom and trench hoe or shovel dipper stick of a power shovel, for converting said power shovel into animproved hoist and handling means for sections or lengths of pipe, conduit, or the like.

Another object of the invention is to provide relatively simple and inexpensive means for effecting the conversion referred to in the preceding paragraph. 7 j

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for converting a power shovel into a pipe or conduit handling means, in which said improved means may be quickly and easily attached to hold the power shovel boom and the trench hoe dipper stick in rigidcooperative relationship, and to permit ready release of the same so that the boom and dipper stick may be again employed in conventional manner when 1 desired. j j j The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following description and appended claims when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

In said drawing:

' Fig. l is a side elevational view of a portion of a power shovel including the boom and a trench hoe unit, showing one application of the present invention thereto; and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged side elevational detail view of a portion of the means for converting a conventional power shovel structure into means for handling pipe, conduit, or the like.

Before explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing, since the inven- 2 tion is capable of other embodiments and of being'practicedor carried out in various ways. It is to. be understood also that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, and it is notintended to limit the invention claimed herein beyond the requirements of the prior art.

Referring now particularly to the drawing, there is shown at 10 the rear portion of the cab of a power shovel as manufactured and. sold by Quick-Way Truck Shovel Company of Denver,

Colorado. Within the cab In there is located the conventional mechanism for operating the boom and trench hoe and including a winding drum or drums for handling the cable or cables forming a part of the power shovel'mechanism. I

Pivotally mounted in conventional manner to the rear'end of the power shovel is a boom H having at its outer end a boom point H. The boom ll carries, as shown, a trench hoe unit, shown as a whole at l3, which comprises a bucket or trench hoe I4, a dipper stick l5, and a pair of reinforcing bars or braces, one such being shown at IS. The dipper stick [5 is provided with a point l1 projecting beyond the end thereof and with a hinge or bracket member l8 at one side of the stick and adjacent the point ll. This hinge member or bracket I8 is pivotally connected to the boom point l2 by a pin or bolt i9, thus permitting the trench hoe unit or assembly 13 to be swung in an upright are relative to the boom II. The dipper stick point I! carries a pulley or sheave 20 connected by a cable 2| to a sheave 22 located, as shown, on the rear wall of cab ID. 'The boom ll carries a guide pulley 23 over which a cable 2 travels to and over a fixed pulley or sheave assembly (not shown) and which is preferably attached to the braces i6, and thence back to pulley 23. A pulley block 25 is attached by means of a hook 26 to one of the trench hoe unit brace members I 6, preferably adjacent the fixed pulley (not shown) The cable 24 extends from a winding drum (not shown) located within the cab 10. The sheave assembly or policy block 25 is added to the conventional structure and forms a part of the pipe or conduit handling means of the present invention, described below, Because of the presence of the members 25 and 26 and of the brace IS, the fixed pulley cannot be seen; nor can the portions of cable 24 which enter and engage said fixed pulley.

In the conventional power shovel structure, the cable 24 would extend over the guide pulley 23 and over a sheave or pulley (not shown) arranged 3 within a so-called equalizer (not shown) located at the upper portion of the trench hoe M.

In addition to the cable 24, a cable 21 which runs overpulleys or sheaves 28 and 29 carried by the cab 10, runs to and over the block pulley 25 and carries at its end a connecting member or coupling 30 having a depending hook 3!. By manipulating the cable fl, it willibe'z seenith'at the coupling member 30 and the hook 3| may be raised or lowered.

As shown, the hook 3| has a grappling device" or sling removably attachedthereto'whichlpref* erably comprises a looped portion 33 of a cable or heavy wire 34 whose outer'endscarry'steel' These books or.

hook members or clamps 35": clamps are adapted to grip the opposite end edges of a length or 'sectioirrofmetal: pipe or conduit 36, see Fig. 1. In normal operation, as

a trench hoe or similar material handling scoop or scraper, the dipper stick l5 would be free to pivot-'a'bout'the' pin-or pivotpoint In accord ance with the present inventiony'however;.vthis dipper stick I 5 isprevented from-having such pivotal or swinging movement relative-to boom H. For-this purpose, a? two-part steel clainp 4'0 is 'secured-by' bolts'or the Iike= 4 |"to the boom l 'l power: shovel: into the pipe o'rh conduit handling? means-embodying the presentrinv'entioni In operation; the: slingezorzpipe gripping, -device 33,=*34;- 35 isappliedi or attachedz't'o arpipei- 'secs tion, such asthat" shown a't- 36;.-= The hookl :3 I; of t-he hoist is then engagednwithzthe cable loop 33; and' 'the: hoisting :drum nots shown). within the cab I0 is operated: to raise or lower: :thezpipe' sectiomas-desireds r When: andcif it is no longer desired tel-employ the-apparatus.- shownin the drawing ion-hair clling pipe or conduit,- theblock pulleyrii the couplingx and hook-H: and-theirvassociated cable. 21 may be detached by-releasingFthehook 26. The sling. 33,, 34r and =may be releasedrfrom hook 3L. 7 The tsupportingalink or connectingmemberv 42 would. now be released fromen'gaeement' with. the dipper sti'ekjlpoint I1: "and lif desired, the clamp, entirelyremoved frcn irthev boom. This. would permit the unit l3. tol beused in its usual or conventional manner.

The shovel unit'l3' is prevented frombein'g swun upwardl'yrbeyond "the position in which itis shown in Fig. 1' off the drawingwby virtue of'afstop member carried by the boom and which" is engaged by the dipper stick point ll.

From the foregoing itwill be seen that bytviri tuepf the present invention; it is a. relatively simple matter toconvert' a conventional power shovel into a pipe or conduit handlingjhoist means'an'd to" rec'onvert the same to its conven-- ti'onal shovel structure? Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is: r

l. Detachable means for connecting together the boom and pivoted dipper stick assembly of a power shovel to maintain the stick assembly in its raised position to thereby convert said boom and stick assembly into means for supporting article -han'dlihg,--=equipment-;; comprising a clamp carried by the boom adjacent its point, and a connecting bolt and nut assembly pivotally attached to said clamp and engageable with an adjacent portionfof' the stick assembly.

2. Detachable connecting means accordin to claiml; wherein astop member is disposed be tweenthe boomand pivoted dipper stick assemb1yt'o'lifnitthe upward movement of the latter relative'rtoatheziormer.

3. Detachable means for connecting together the bo'omand pivoted dipper stick assembly of a power shovel to maintain the stick assembly in raised position td'th'ereby convert s'aid'b'oom and stick assemmy-mto= meansfor supporting f article-handling equipment;- comprising a two' part clamp "re'movab1 carried by the: boom adjacent its point, and a connecting; bolt and nut' assem bly pivotally attached to said two-part*clamp-- and engageable with- -the dipperstick-assemblyi Detachable mea'ns for connecting together the boom and pivoted dipper stickassembly of a powershovel accorclingfto claim 3, wherein a stop-membris disposedbetween the boom and the dipper stick pointto limit the" upward-"move= mentof the dipper stick assembly relative to theboom? 5"; Means 'for converting a power shovel-into an article handling apparatus in which "the power shovel 'include's"a boom and a trenchho'e unit swihgably==moimted upon the" outer end-*ofr'the" boom; said converting means comprising a clamp engageable with" the boom an'd a connecting-rod carried by-the clampand detachabiy engaging a; portion of the ,trench hoe' unit'- to-maintairf "saidunit in a raised position, said tren'ch-"hoeunit providing means for removably" supportingarticl'e handlihg equipment in suspended condition: 6; Means-for convertingapower shovelin'to an article handlingapparatus in which the" power shovel includes a boom an'd a" trench hoe {unit swihgabl'y-*mounted'- upon thefouter end offlth'e' boom; said converting f means comprising a clamp engageable with the boom," andflmea ns movably carried by the clamp and 'd'eta'chabiy engaging a portion of the trench hoe unit to maintain-said unit raised position: said trencli -hoe' -unitproviding means for removably supporting article handling" equipment; in pended condition;

- LUKE 'EYSMITHQ REFERENCES CITED 7 The following references are ofiecordlinthe UNITED' STATE$ PATENTS Weston Dec. 15, I942 

